Astra Militarum
IN EDITING DUE TO THE RELEASE OF THE 5TH EDITION CODEX! The Imperial Guard is easily the largest fighting force of the Imperium of Man. It is comprised of countless billions of men and women, in thousands of different regiments, supported by a vast array of light and heavy vehicles. They are usually the first Imperial force to respond to threats if the planet's Planetary Defense Force fails to suppress it. They also hold major locations of interest to the Imperium and are more often found in defensive roles than offensive. The Imperial Guard are much more widespread than the Space Marines. Imperial Guard are also much more expendable; the loss of a dozen Imperial Guardsmen would still not equal the loss of one Space Marine. The Primarch of the Imperial Fists Space Marine chapter, Rogal Dorn, once famously quoted: "Give me a hundred Space Marines. Or failing that give me a thousand other troops." (In actual game terms, however, because of a need for balance, Imperial Guard are able to fight Space Marine armies with a higher chance of victory due to nearly thousands of regiments more than Space Marines.) Overview Imperial Guardsmen, while weak individually, rely on massive numbers of infantry and the assistance of powerful tanks, such as the Leman Russ Battle tank, Basilisk mobile artillery, and Chimera APC, to win. Even a small Imperial Guard division is likely to have a full complement of armoured fighting vehicles. For example, a Baneblade can usually overpower its Space Marine counterpart, the Land Raider, in ballistics and firepower, and the Basilisk can easily defeat the Tau Skyray in terms of range and firepower. The Imperial Guard also have a number of special forces troopers at their disposal, such as Stormtroopers, the elite of the Schola Progenium, who have been issued better weapons and stronger armour to compliment a lifetime of training and warfare. Though general purpose Imperial Guardsmen are weak in close combat, with the help of specialists such as Ogryns (brutish, Ogre-like abhumans), their strength at close quarters is boosted.This system makes the Imperial Guard list quite flexible. Despite being heavily underpowered in melee and ranged combat to Space Marines; The Imperial Guard task force in full frontal battle can easily defeat the Space Marines, due to Imperial Guard's number in the masses. Description The Imperial Guard is a colossal military organization, consisting of many individual armies throughout the Imperium, and forming the vast bulk of the Imperium's military machine. The Guard collectively numbers billions of men from thousands of different Imperial worlds. Each Imperial Guard regiment is raised from a single world and generally number between five hundred and six thousand fighting soldiers, supported by a huge array of light and heavy armored vehicles. Each regiment also has its own entourage, consisting of support staff, camp followers, suppliers, tech-priests, doctors, religious leaders and the like. Because the Imperium is constantly in a state of war, Imperial Guardsmen can end up serving for thirty years or more. Regiments are drawn from all types of planets of the Imperium from Holy Terra to Feral and Medieval worlds, and the contributions of some planets over the ten thousand years of the Imperium runs into the millions, if not more. The Imperial Guard are constantly at war, freeing worlds from Chaotic or alien influence, or defending them from the same. The Imperial Guard rely upon the Imperial Navy for transport to and from war zones. The regiments of Guardsmen are as diverse as the worlds they come from, and range from the Rough Riders to armored soldiers that rival, and in rare cases, outperform Space Marines. Where the Space Marines might fight a war through tactics and efficiency, the Guard can easily afford to crush its opposition amidst thousands of lasgun volleys and hundreds of ordnance blasts. Such is the numerical superiority of the Imperial Guard that even Orks can sometimes find themselves outnumbered by the "Sledgehammer" of the Imperium Imperial Guard Equipment and Weaponry has a wide range from standard Lasguns to Earthshaker cannons to the huge Baneblade tanks Components of an Imperial Guard Regiment HQ High Command Squad In large-scale crusades, High Commanders are often found directing the crusade effort from the rear, keeping with him representatives from the various Imperial Guard regiments and the occasional Space Marine chapter to keep in constant contact and update with the fighting components. However, when necessary, the High Commanders may take to the battlefield with his aides and bodyguard, boosting his men's morale with his mere presence. High Commanders have a higher rank than other officers normally found at the front lines. Command Platoon Containing a Senior officer 4 Guardsmen.The guardsmen can be armed with a variety of weapons,and access to he company Standard and one becoming a medic. They can all be mounted in a Chimera. The officer is in continuous contact with his subordinates and coordinates attacks and provides a solid leadership anchor and can have advisors and bodyguards acompany him. The Senor officer can give 2 orders to nearby orders to soldiers within 12 of him in the shooting phase(including his own squad).He must give them first then the junior officers may.The unit who is subject to the orders must take a leadership test and if passed the order takes effect.Role of dounle 1 means that the officer gets to make a free order again due to that order being done in record time.Double 6 means confusion regines and there is a lack of communications and no orders can be made by anyone that turn.Bring it down!This alows the Officer to make the unit being issued the command to target a vehical or monstrous creature with there wepons counting as twinlinked.This is very good when using lascanons to target vehicals.Another is Fire on my target!This means the unit in question fires on the designated target and anycoversaves that were successful must be reroled.The 3rd of the 6 is Get back in the fight.Any unit that has gon to ground or is fleeing will regroup regardless of any restrictions and units gon to ground will act normal again.(Next 3 Junior officer) Commissars and Lord Commissars Even in battle, a Guardsman may need to be reminded of his duty to the Emperor, and Commissars are often seen as the Emperor's representatives on the battlefield. Stern-faced and grim individuals trained by the Schola Progenium, Commissars are able to either inspire great deeds or strike fear into the hearts of Guardsmen. Either way, this encourages them to stand their ground against the enemy and battle it out to the end. Commissars are, however, more than just a visible representative of the Emperor. They also often take the fight to the enemy, battling against foe after foe to aid the battle. Their elevated status marks them apart from the standard hierarchy of command, and often operate as autonomous individuals, counseling and advising the commander. They have the ability to execute Sanctioned Psykers and Primaris Psykers if they are attacked by the dark forces of the Warp. If a commander or soldier is found unwanting, or wavers in his duty to the Emperor, the Commissar has full rights to distribute punishment from the barrel of a gun. It is this mix of extreme corporal punishment and bravery that makes Commissars such effective boosters of morale on the grim frontlines. Commissars are often drawn from the ranks of the also fiercely loyal Storm Troopers. They learn how to lead and fight in these squads at the Schola Progenium and then work their way up to the status of Commissar. Commissars who inspire their troops to victory above and beyond the norm are promoted to the rank of Lord Commissars. Lord Commissars are few and far between, but they inspire their soldiers to acts of valour in a way no average Commissar can. Priests These fanatical members of the Ecclesiarchy follow the Imperial Guard campaigns and battles preaching the Righteousness of the Emperor. They favor close combat over shooting, as they bring holy death to their enemies and they instill this ideal in the guardsmen following them. Such is their fury that they must charge any enemy they find, making them equally ferocious as a Commissar when it comes to motivating men, although they use inspiration rather than terror. (0-2 preist may be int the army and dont count as an HQ choice.) Techpriest Enginseer A heavily armored warrior from the Adeptus Mechanicus who can repair tanks and vehicles on the battlefield. They can be accompanied by up to five other 'Servitor' units, who can aid in ranged combat or repairing vehicles. A Techpriest has numerous upgrades installed inside them for times of battle, when tanks and vehicles need to prepare under heavy fire or time constraints. Many Techpriests have their lungs replaced with mechanical breathers or computer upgrades in the cortex for easier compliance with the archaic machinery of the Imperium. Some of the more extreme Techpriests have their blood replaced with oil, to minimize the effects of wounds and injuries inflicted on the field of battle. Many Techpriests choose to have servo-arms installed, as an extra limb is always useful for combat and repair. The Techpriest Enginseers are privy to the mystical secrets of the machine spirits in Imperium vehicles and are held in high regard amongst armoured companies, which are comprised primarily of vehicles. However, in most Imperial Guard armies the Techpriests are shunned because of their bionic enhancements and disfigurements (0-2 Techpriest may be taken and don't count as an HQ choice.) Elites Stormtroopers Kasrkin are considered superior to other Guardsmen because of their additional training and indoctrination by the Schola Progenium, as well as their improved equipment. They are often used in the vanguard of an assault or as infiltrating troops to carry out special objectives lesser Guardsmen would be unable to undertake. A stormtrooper carries a hot-shot lasgun and hot-shot laspistol and wears carapace armor that gives better protection than flak armor. Ogryn Often drafted into Imperial Guard Regiments from the Ogryn Auxilia Legions, these guys are large, hulking, and angry. Of course, given their tendency to brute force, they usually have little for brains. They are given well built Ripper Guns, which more often than not are used for bashing the enemy with rather than shooting them. They are extra tough in combat and are a good blocking force, preventing the enemy from reaching the softer inner core of the armies' guardsmen. They can be mounted in a transport, although they do suffer from a form of claustrophobia and are not at their best when being transported (however, it has been found that Officers can get them in whith the help of a freindly faced trooper and barle of rations.Unforunatly for the trooper he is stuck in there untill they leave). They can resist incoming fire and move up the field to bash away at the enemy's stronger combat units. They come from high gravity worlds, forcing them to grow taller and more muscular than most other humanoid species. With their multiple wounds and high strength, a squad of Ogryn will give even the best enemy melee troops something to think about. Ratlings These small humanoids come from low gravity worlds and are unsuitable for close combat. The Ratlings instead act as snipers, and many a regiment has been saved at the last moment only by the pinpoint accuracy of the tiny humanoids. Ratlings are also great cooks, being able to make anything out of whatever they find (or pilfer). Ratlings are notorious crooks, organizing gambling rings or using their small size to steal whatever is laying around, whether it be a shiny bullet casing or the senior Commissar's peaked hat. Needless to say, Regimental commanders have noticed that rates of petty theft and drug dealing invariably increase when a Ratling squad is attached to the company. This skill means the Ratlings make fine profits on the front-lines, where they smuggle in whatever the soldiers need or want - at a price. Troops Guardsmen Found in every single Imperial Guard regiment, the Guardsman is an ubiquitous representation of the Imperial Guard, as he makes up the very backbone of the army itself. Armed with low-power laser weaponry known as las-weaponry, a Guardsmen's lethality is minimal. Armored with basic flak armor fabricated from Kevlar, they have little protection in comparison with the Adeptus Astartes and other species. Instead of cybernetic upgrades, demonic Chaos powers or biological weapons, the Guardsmen face up to the universe's unimaginable horrors with nothing more than a rifle in their hands and fire in their bellies. Guardsmen are used differently, depending on how their commander works. Some leaders choose to use the near-limitless Guardsmen like water on rocks - maximum casulties, but a slow and sure victory. Others prefer a sledgehammer style - an enemy will always fall under a volley of a thousand lasguns. Others just use the Guard like flesh shields - overload the meat grinder until it works no more. However they are used, the Guard will always win, whatever the cost, in the name of the God Emperor. Infantry Platoon The standard infantry deployment, Comprises of 1 command squad lead by a junior officer and their staff,2-5Infantry squads and 0-5 Hevey wepon squads,0-2 secial wepon squads and 0-1 conscript platoons.Counting as 1 troop choice. Platoon Command Squad This squad consists of a Junior officer and his personal staff. They may be chosen for their medical skills, their skill with special weapons or their potential to become an officer. They coordinate and plan their platoon's movement and actions. Sadly for evey officer that performs valiantly there is another that panics and falters and is quickly punished for wasting the time and lives of the guard. The officer can issue 1 order in the shooting phase to any unit within 6 inches of him.(including his own) The same rules are applied fto the Senior officer .The 3 orders he can issue which the Senior officer can also choose to issue are: First rank fire! Second rank fire! This alows the unit to fire 2 shots with it's lasguns at 24 inches if they don't move or 3 shots with their lasguns if they rapidfire.(this only applies to the units lasguns)'' Incoming!'' The unit goes to ground and get +2 to it's cover save insted of +1. Move! Move! Move! The unit runs but you roll 3 dice and pick the highest roll. Infantry Squads These are the main body of men and women fighting in the guard.They do everything that is needed and do most of the dying until the enemy is pounded away. A sergeant and 9 men with the option of 1 using a special weapon (A grenade launcher, a flamer, a plasma gun, or melta gun or a sniper rifle) and the option of one acting as the squad's vox officer (operator). Then 2 others can act as a heavy weapons team.(In my opinion you should use heavy weapon teams instead of putting them in the squad.) Conscript Platoons These squads consist of normal people with little or no training, new recruits, children of the regiment or Guardsmen that have not completed their traning depending on the world and regiment.They are given a lasgun and flak armor, and sent into battle. They can be small units or brought together to form a formidable swarm of men. They consist of 20-50 men in a platoon. Heavy Weapon Teams These soldiers are drawn and put into dedicated heavy weapon teams.They are equipped with mortars,Heavy bolters, Auto cannons or Lascannons to offer long range support or antitank support to regular Guardsmen. Special Weapon Teams These soldiers consist of either snipers and spotters, combat engineers with flamers and demoltion experts offering a variaty of special support.Some can act as anti tank units with melta or plasma guns or sniper teams of 3 snipers and 3 spotters with lasguns. The combat engineers are trained to attack bunkers and the explosive experts can carry either grenade launchers or a demolition charge. Veterans These soldiers are those in squads who have survived when most of the squad mates have not.They have the skill and experiance to suvive.They are crack shots and can have several special wepons in their squads and have weapons not issued to regular guardsmen. Many of their weapons are taken their foes.It is rare for a regiment to have alot of these men except for regiments with natural born soldiers or those which have a lot of luck.A regiment who have been reduced to the point when there are just a few of these men left are put in a new regiment in hopes that their skills will rub off onto the new men. Penal legion New to the game,the penal legion consists of a custodian and 9 penal legionares.The custodian has a controle that is linked to the legionares collars that will kill the legionar he choses showering those nearby willl blood to instill order.The legionares have there heads shaved and # tatuded to there forhead.These are those who have commited capital crimes and have been given a chance to redeam themselfs or face death.They are those skilled evil men and occasionaly women who's skills are served well in battle.This is the last stop for rapists,murderers,socialpaths and phycopaths.Ocasionaly about every 100 years 1 legion is awared freedom for there years of service and there sins absolved.This is the little hope that they cling on to as many die wimpering behind there guns but 1 mad killer alwase seems to survive screaming his warcry. Chimera Capable of transporting twelve Guardsmen, the Chimera is the standard transport of nearly all regiments. It is amphibious and capable of supporting naval assaults. It is often the basis for other Guard vehicle variants, such as the Basilisk, the Hellhound, and Griffin mortar platform. They play a heavy role in mechanized armies, such as the Armageddon Steel Legion. Fast Attack Rough Rider Squadron Mounted on horse/animal/creature back, these units are fast and flexible, but don't last for long. Compared to normal Guardsmen they specialize in close combat and can gain a movement boost during the shooting phase, but they are weak compared to the close combat specialists of many other armies. They can be given a special 'Hunting Lance' which gives them a one shot advantage in close combat. This makes them useful for hit and run tactics. Hellhound Based on the chassis of the Chimera, Hellhounds have large promethium fuel tanks on the rear chassis of the vehicle. It is armed with a large flamer known as an "Inferno Cannon". The inferno cannon has the ability to cover a wide area with flames which can cause horrific losses to light to medium units (such as orks and Space Marines) due to its large blast radius and range. The members of the tank crew are often gleeful pyromaniacs.(The Hellhound can form a unit of 1-3 mixed with the Devildog and the Banewolf) Devildog The Devildog is a variant of the Hellhound with a melta cannon.The Melta cannon makes a howling sound when it fired.This offers alot of anti tank support to armys that don't have alot of hevey tanks.(The Devil dog can form a unit of 1-3 mixed with the Hellhound and Banewolf) Banewolf The Banewolf is only used when the compleate destruction of the opposition is warrented.It carrys a chem cannon stength 2 but if the target is a nonvehical it wounds on +2 and is ap3.The chem cannon fires a smog wich disolves all organic material,skin is disloved and blood boils in the victum as the horific work starts.Chaos spacemarines killing you platoon on worrys,Eldar who play Iyanden will be easy to deal with.(The Banewolf can form a unit of 1-3 mixed with the Hellhound and the Devildog) Scout Sentinel Squadron These small squadrons of walkers can carry a variety of heavy weapons, depending on the pattern of the Sentinels, and bring high levels of power and maneuverability together in one place. They are lightly armored however, and are susceptible to light arms fire. They are often employed as scouts and can be used for defending the flanks of other units or striking forward to take out light-medium armored infantry or vehicles.They are also comonly used in hit and run attacks,many foes will find themselves attacked in the middle of there own teritory.They will commonly attack refinerys and factorys,harasing the garison there. Sentinel Squadron The Sentinel Squads are more heavily armored than scout sentinels and can carry weapons such as plasma cannons and lascannons to destroy tanks. They are more deadly in combat because they are not open topped and have more armor. Heavy Support Leman Russ Battle Tank The tank is named after one of the Space Marines Primarchs, Leman Russ of the Space Wolves, and is the mainstay tank of the Imperial Guard. It has a large main battle cannon, which is a hugely powerful ordnance weapon, a hull-mounted lascannon and optional sponson-mounted heavy bolters heavy flamers,plasma cannons,or melta cannons. With strong front armor, it is designed to initially bombard large formations and then assault the weakened enemy defenses later, weapons firing. It is however particularly vulnerable to rear and side attacks. It is the most commonly found vehicle in the Guard, and is the other base of design for some of the other vehicles, including the Vanquisher, Conqueror and many others. They can be upgraded to enhance their combat effectiveness. Leman Russ Demolisher Based on the standard Leman Russ chassis, it has a similar configuration. It boasts a demolisher cannon, designed for short range bombardment, rather than the longer ranged battle cannon. The extreme power of this weapon makes it tear easily through even Terminator armor. The simplest tactic is to get just within range of the enemy and then blast as much as possible, relying on the front armor to keep the tank going. They are the only tank in the Imperial Guard that is directly affiliated with infantry formations, rather than being assigned from an armored company, and have a reputation for never letting down their 'little brothers.' As such, they are often at the front of the battle with the guardsmen. Leman Russ Exsterminator The Exsterminator is used and can do alot of damage with it's autocannon is twinlinked and will offer grate acuracy and side sponsoons will add to this fire power.The Exsterminator is grate for clearing medium armored men but when it comes to vehicle killing the only sure fire vehicles that you could kill would be ork vehicle wich are low in terms of armor.Other than tht there is no surefire way to kill the ememy vehicles but medium vehicals are not to difficult.The Eldar Falcon is a good target but what makes it good is the high rate of fire and hit's out of those shots.This can offer grate support for infantry and can clear the way for your own men. Leman Russ Vanquisher The Vanquisher is a new tank but the tec. to make it was lost when the forge world Tigrus was overrun.It is now slowly becomming a rare sight on the battle feild.It's 1 shot 1 kill ratio makes it a grate canidate for antitank jobs.The Vanquisher should be used for cracking Monaliths and Landraiders aswell as light-medium tanks.It however can kill alot of other vehicles.There is no tank that will find it easy when shells from this thing come flying in there direction.The Vanquisher is something to consider if your opponent is using alot of tanks of getting one if he is using a av 14 on the front and sides.Whithout side sponsons this tanks will be ready for the slaughter from infantry if unsupported by other tank variants or infantry. Leman Russ Eradicator The Eradicator was first used during urban conflicts.The Eradicator cannon's blast is so powerful that any cover is usless against such a torent.If you are facing and opponent that relies on cover from you tank then your in luck.The Eradicator offers a solution to a simple but anoying problem.Tau hidding behind a wall and your throwing crack grenades and plasma at them but there using coversaves to negate the killing power of those 2 wepons.Well The Eradicator is the solution to your troubles as iit comes round the corner and kills them because of ap and no cover save alowed.This will be grate for fighting cover dependent units who hide and harass your men and tanks. Leman Russ Punisher The Leman Russ Punisher can put more amo at the target than any other tank in the Imperial guard.The crew is usualy gunho and triger happy.The Punisher is a hevey 20 S4 AP- Before you go I'm still laughing at this it's silly hahahahaha it's stupid hahaha OMG hahahahaha.This is your best freind when fighting nids(Tyranids).They can kill guants,hormaguants,rippers,gargoyles,worriors,lictors,ravaners,sporemines,and Genestealers due to there low armor value while wounding them isn't an issue.(Note I named most of the Tyranids)A hevey 20 against them will hit quite a few and wound them while the low armor value is that of or less of a guardsman's armor.Nids and Orks are the only armys while lower armor but with this baby you'll start to destroy the nids endless supplie of troops while there troops can't kill you but there hevey support will do some damage. Leman Russ Executioner The Executioner is an ancent and very old tank.Once there will entire legons of them but as understanding of plasma tec. was lost the tank was soon no longer produced.The Executioner is in essence a plasma tank.It's main gun is an Executioner plasma cannon wich shoots 3 plasma shots or 5 if 2 side sponson plasma guns are put onto it.This is a grate tank that is now a tecnological relic and is very rare.The Executioner is able to kill terminators with out trouble but be carfull not only is it rare but a target for any force.So watch for anything that looks like antitank weapons or you know are anti tank. Hydra Flak Tank If you opponent is Tau or Eldar and there using vehicals this is your answer to there vehicals.The auto targeting system means that you will have no targeting problems with vehicals that go flatout.Get those Tau and Eldar with this because they have skimers so using 3 could kill all there skimers but it is AP 4 so infantry could be delt with but some protection can't hurt when the opponent needs to get rid of these things. Basilisk The longest range weapon in the game, the Basilisk is a common sight on the battlefields of the Imperium. Equipped with the powerful Earthshaker cannon, which has a high strength and range, the Basilisk is perfectly suitable for bombarding enemy positions. It uses the standard Chimera chassis but has all transport room and lasguns removed, leaving it with a single hull weapon and the Earthshaker cannon itself. It can be upgraded to be allowed to fire from behind cover, blindly destroying targets before the other forces arrive, while keeping itself safe from enemy fire. The ordnance this produces is able to break through all of the enemies defenses and is feared, rightly so. It is susceptible to enemy fire if caught in the open however, and will not last long against any heavy weapons. Medusa The Medusa is a moblie morter that has 48 and has the potental to kill any unit close to it but there should be some support because of such a short range. Colossus The Colossus is a rare peice of seige equipment that is rarly seen.While not as powerful as some of the other artilery units is is used when a wall or fortess needs destroying or penitrating.The Colossus is a morter because it can't fire directly and negates coversaves like the Leman Russ Eradicator.For the pice of about 2 Medusas you can get this and kill your opponent with this. Griffon Griffon was way back in the 2nd addtion of warhammer 40k.Many people are exited to see it again.The Griffon has a decent AP and can give your opponent just as much to fear.It has types of shots that are both deadly,one is a shot ment to kill anything that gets touched by it. Manticor This is the anti hors wepon so Orks will hate this.The Manticor is unpredictable and the spirit of the Manticor is unpredictable and the rockets might fire even with the proper blessing.The Manticor has only 4 shots and takes time to relode so the Manticor can't relode in battle.The Manticor is one of the most feared unit in the Imperial Guard.The Manticor is so unpredictable that all 4 missles have gone off sometimes.The Manticore can be a danger to all those around due to the wild nature of such a tank that cannot be fully controlled.Once during a seige of a major fortress the defenders surendered at just the sight of the Manticores.Moments later the Fortess was destroyed by the Manticors all going off at the same time.Clearly this tank is dangerous to anyone but the crew inside when inside. Death Strike The Death Strike is something that should have been put in the Apoc. rules and it takes forever to fire so a fast or deepstrike force can get it but whats fun is it can't get destroyed.Lodes of fun,can't fire on the first round but deadly.If you role a 6 on turn 2+ then it fire despite any restrictions.Add +1 for every turn it's been on the table not counting the first one.-1 for every destroyed results-1 for every Imo. or weapon destroyed results. Notable Imperial Guard Forces Cadian Shock Troopers The Cadian Shock Troopers are famous throughout the galaxy for constantly proving themselves in the arena of battle. Their leader is the Lord Castellan, the position currently held by Ursarkar E. Creed, hero of the Battle for Cadia. The model for Cadians are the standard model for all Imperial Guard troopers, consequently making them the Imperial Guard's equivalent of the Ultramarines. Cadia has always been a fortress world, charged with guarding the "Eye of Terror". Its population all are destined for military life; the birth rate and recruitment rate are practically synonymous. Cadian regiments are highly disciplined, make excellent shots and use elite shock troops to lead their attacks. Such is their reputation of the shock troops that many other regiments mimic their appearance and equipment, although their doctrines may differ. The Cadians fighting in the 13th Black Crusade were developed to be a generic force representing any modern or science fiction armed force based on modern Russian, British, German, American, and various other hi-tech soldiers. In previous (Second and Third) editions, the Cadian Shock Troopers were heavily styled on the United States Army as well as the Mobile Infantry from the 1997 movie Starship Troopers and the United States Colonial Marines from the 1986 movie Aliens. History of Cadia Cadia has a special and honored place in the history of Mankind. Cadia stands upon the edge of the Eye of Terror within a narrow corridor of stable space called . This forms the one and only predictable passage between the Chaos infested daemon worlds of the Eye of Terror and Terra. No battle fleet of any size can rely upon other unstable passages and must pass through the Cadian Gate. Cadia is therefore one of the most strategically important planets of the galaxy. On several occasions the forces of Chaos have moved against Cadia and raging battles have been fought in the depths of space. Such huge battles are rare, but the constant intrusion of Chaos raiding craft is commonplace. Chaos Space Marines make frequent forays onto the surface of Cadia and must be hunted down. The bulk of the Cadian army is made up of the Shocktroops, with the remainder made up of the Whiteshields (conscript soldiers recruited at the age of 14 and trained to take place in Shocktroop regiments) and the Elite Kasrkin soldiers. Notable regiments: *7th Cadian: "The Lucky Sevens" *8th Cadian: "The Lord Castellan's Own", led personally by Ursarkar E. Creed during the Thirteenth Black Crusade *39th Cadian: "Xenobane" *110th Cadian: "Shadow Corps" *122nd Cadian: Distinguished themselves in the Vogen Campaign, and featured in Codex: Cityfight (Chambers, 2001) *412th Cadian: Featured in the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War expansion Winter Assault *417th Cadian: "Hellbringers" Catachan Jungle Fighters Catachan is a Death World almost completely covered in dense jungle where it seems the entire ecosystem is hostile to human life. Catachan's only export is its people, who through natural selection are bred tough and strong from living in such a dangerous world. Catachan Jungle Fighters are among some of the deadliest experts of jungle warfare in the entire galaxy and their reputation precedes them. They make use of many close combat weapons including the "Catachan Fang", a knife measuring up to 20 inches of gleaming steel, which is the most common weapon. It is also used for settling disputes between Catachans. Another knife is the Night Reaper, which is smaller and blackened, effective in night infiltration and assassinations. They are sometimes poisoned to improve their kill strength, the poisons coming directly from Catachan. The Devil's Claw, named after the Catachan Devil, is the longest weapon, up to four feet long. It is closer to a sword than a knife and has achieved status among the Orks who call it "Da Cutta". The blade is hollow and half filled with mercury in order to improve swing strength and control, and the design of this weapon has been copied by Catachan regimental officers for use as a power weapon. They also make extensive use of traps, mines and other unpleasant surprises. They use traps, spring mines, shredder mines and plasma charges, each specializing in killing certain types of troops. The most skilled Catachan Jungle Fighters are capable of launching deadly ambushes, remaining unseen in the foliage and appearing only when they want to attack. Due to their tactics and the terrain which they specialize in, the Catachan Jungle Fighters do not use any vehicles save for the Sentinel walker which is modified for jungle warfare. They also use fewer heavy weapon teams than a standard army, and those that they do have favor mortars and heavy bolters. This leaves them under-gunned compared to other Imperial Guard regiments, but their weaponry is optimal for their preferred style of combat. Catachan Jungle Fighters, as a whole, bear similarities to the "Rambo" movie series, complete with red headbands, and to a lesser extent, Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movies "Commando" and "Predator". They also resemble some of the stereotypes of the American G.I. during the Vietnam War, which involved a great deal of jungle combat. Notable regiments: Catachan XXIV "Waiting Death" - Use of extensive traps, using "baiter" squads to lure the enemy onto the traps. Catachan XVIII "Swamprats" - Attacked a Tyranid horde, masked themselves in Tyranid ichor and successfully wiped out the Tyranids. They then had to spend two years on a decontamination ship. Catachan XVII "Screaming Devils" - Led by Captain Thorn, including famous sniper, Sniper Dell, who won the Silver Bullet seven years in a row. There is a Catachan special character named Sly Marbo, who appeared in the 3rd version of Warhammer 40,000 in the Catacahan "sub-codex". He also appears in the short story Death World by Steve Lyons as part of the Imperial Guard Omnibus: Volume One collection. He is part of the Catachan XIV Regiment and is considered the best camouflage expert and sniper in the entire regiment. He has also been referred to as the "one man army" and the "ghost" by his commanding officers. He also works completely alone in the field often times shadowing squads as they travel through dense jungles acting as sniper support. His character is directly based off of Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo" (switch letters in Marbo and you get Rambo), and their personalities are also very similar. Ice Warriors of Valhalla Valhalla was originally a verdant paradise world. No records survive of its colonization, but legends recall a world ripe for conquest. Unfortunately, Valhalla was destined for catastrophe. A rogue comet entered into a collision course with Valhalla. The planet's defense lasers fired at the comet, but only succeeded in breaking it up. Later, it was found that the comet was made of almost pure iron, explaining why the lasers were so ineffective. The comet mostly impacted in the vast ocean, but a mile-wide fragment impacted the northern continent, creating vast plumes of dust which proceeded to cover the planet in a blanket of dirt. To make matters worse, the planet's orbit was changed, moving it farther away from its sun. This change in the amount of warmth and light altered Valhalla's ecosystem permanently, changing the planet to an icy wasteland. The people struggled to make a living, fearing famine due to a lack of viable farmland. Unfortunately, this was not the end of Valhalla's troubles. A damaged Ork warfleet descended on the planet and proceeded to fight the Valhallans for the precious food they had stored. The Valhallans held out bravely for a long time in their vast hive cities beneath the ice but were pushed right back to the food vats. Eventually they destroyed the by using ice boring machines to strategically strike at the heart of the mob, burning and melting most of the orks and scattering the rest. Regiments of Valhallans have been assigned to planets infested with Orks due to their intimate knowledge of Ork tactics and their dogged determination in the face of defeat, where other armies might run. Valhalla is an extremely cold, ice covered planet similar to the ice planet Hoth from Star Wars. Valhallan Ice Warriors resemble the Soviet army during World War II. Praetorians Praetoria is a heavily populated Hive World that lies in a system close to the Imperial naval base at Bakka. The overpopulated Hive-Cities of Praetoria are renowned for their squalor and degradation, and produce some of the toughest gangsters on any of the hive worlds in the Imperium. Imperial Guard regiments raised on Praetoria are renowned for their iron discipline, by-the-book drilling and unshakeable bravery, even in the face of the most overwhelming odds. Originally Mordians with different sculpted heads, the Praetorians were introduced following the Games Day display "Massacre at Big Toof River", where a substantial Imperial Guard force is annihilated by an enormous Ork horde in a similar style to the British defeat at Isandhlwana by Zulus. Despite this crippling loss, the Praetorians fought back at the "Last Stand at Glazer's Creek", where they, supported by local militia and several Ratlings, held off a rampaging Ork horde in a battle similar to the British-Zulu conflict at Rourke's Drift. As mentioned before, the Praetorians are based on British colonial soldiers typical of those found in Africa during the 19th century. This is further reflected by the fact that their most common enemies are the Ork tribes - who function like the noble Zulus. Tallarn Desert Raiders The Desert Raiders are exceptional at guerrilla-style warfare, having adapted to the harsh conditions of their home planet. They are also known for their weaponry accuracy, as well as having highly capable Sentinel and Tank squads. Tallarn Desert Raiders have a slightly Arab-like appearance, but influences have also been taken from other sources, such as the African campaigns of WW2. Mordian Iron Guard Mordians normally wear bright dress uniforms, even into combat, and often present a look of amateurism, perhaps to catch their enemies off guard. Friends and allies alike learn from this mistake quickly, as the Iron Guard's training is second to none. Due to the condition of their planet, the troops raised there tend to be a dour, no-nonsense lot. Mordians believe in perfect precision and constant drill to overcome their foes, and they will rarely be seen routed, rather they make fighting retreats to a better and more defensible position. The Mordian Iron Guard bear a slight resemblance to the Prussian army under Bismarck and if painted right could also look like Japanese army in the in the early 20th century. Armageddon Steel Legion "Heroes of Armageddon! You have withstood the evil savagery of the Orks, and they have nothing left for you to fear. So raise high the black banners of vengeance - now is our time!" - Commissar Yarrick Armageddon is a Hive World, a planet covered in vast polluted wastelands broken up by hives, huge arcologies stretching miles into the sky. True to its name, Armageddon has been the site of three apocalyptic battles, most recently a pair of invasions by the Ork warboss Ghazghkull Thraka. As a result, the armies of Armageddon are skilled in fighting against Orks. The Steel Legion soldiers are siege experts and masters of attrition, driving their wounded enemies back across the ash wasteslands of the planet after they have suffered severe casualties. Armageddon produces many armored fighting vehicles for the Imperium, such as Chimera APCs. As such, the Armageddon Steel Legions are primarily Mechanized Infantry, employing Chimera APCS, Hellhounds and several variants of the Leman Russ (tank). The Armageddon Steel Legions resemble the German Fallschirmjäger (paratroops) during World War II. Death Korps of Krieg The Planet Krieg was once the site of a rebellion against the Imperium. In retaliation, the people of Krieg subjected their world to 500 years of atomic cleansing to root out the rebellious factions. The Death Korps are fearless warriors, never flinching even in the face of unavoidable death, which they see as atonement for the rebellion. They see their deaths fighting in war as penance for the heresy of their ancestors. They are a dedicated trench and siege warfare force and perform best in wars of attrition. Appearance-wise, the Death Korps are similar to the Steel Legion, but have darker colors, and their masks usually have a skull motif. Of all the regiments of the Guard, they are the most gloomy and dark, both in appearance and in spirit. They bear a strong resemblance to the Imperial German Army in World War I, in tactics (trench warfare) as well as appearance. Tanith First-and-Only (Gaunt's Ghosts) The world of Tanith came under attack by Chaos forces while it was mustering soldiers for the Sabbat Crusade. Only about 3,000 men were rescued from the planet by Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt before it was destroyed by the powers of Chaos. Because they were left without a homeworld, the members of the Tanith 1st and Only came to call themselves "Gaunt's Ghosts" (As later named by "Mad" Hlaine Larkin, sniper of the Tanith First-and-Only). They are excellent light infantry and scouts, and as such are known to dress in cloaks made out of cameoline for camouflage. The stories of the Tanith 1st and Only can be found in the Gaunt's Ghosts series, written by Dan Abnett. Harakoni Warhawks Harakon is a low-gravity planet with tall hives. The Harakoni use grav-gliders to hunt vapourwyrms in the valleys below their hives. This makes them fearless of altitudes and great at judging air currents. Their abilities have found a home in the imperial guard where they act as drop troops. Many a General or warmaster owes their decorations to the bravery and experience of the warriors of Harakon. Elysian Drop Troopers The Drop regiments of Elysia are known for the rapid deployment capabilities using Airborne Troop Carriers called Valkyries, and either rappel down ropes or use grav-chutes at high altitudes. These troops have deep strike capability, and can use mortars, rocket launchers, and heavy bolters like any other IG regiment. Unfortunately, They must sacrifice the heavy vehicle support that most other IG regiments field. The only ground vehicle to date that they can utilize is the modified Drop Sentinel. The Elysian Drop Troopers were among the forces that fought in the 3rd Armageddon War. These troops are based on roughly modern day parachute troops to futuristic drop troops such as the Hell Jumpers (which they share some resemblance with) in the game Halo 2 and the Mobile Infantry from Starship Troopers. Forge World recently released a line of resin models for the Elysians for the Taros Campaign, a conflict between the Imperium and the Tau. Vostroyan Firstborn Vostroya is a world in the Halo-zone beyond the eye of terror, which swore allegiance to Mars during the Age of Strife. It is now ruled by a committee of Techtriarchs, A mix of Mechanicus Magos and more traditional Imperial planetary government. During the Horus Heresy, Vostroya refused to provide regiments to the Emperor, preferring instead to reserve the population in the manufactorium blanketing the world. After the Heresy came to an end the Vostroyans agreed to supply every first born son to service with the Imperial guard. Despite the black mark on their people's history, the Vostroyans now consider it an honour to fight for the Emperor, and view other more reluctant regiments with disgust. The Vostroyans were introduced in the 2006 campaign "Fall of Medusa IV". The Vostroyan carapace armour is mildly based on the armour worn by Cossacks of Eastern Europe, and the Vostroyans themselves are reminiscient of 19th century Russia. Notable Characters *Lord Commander Solar Macharius *Commissar Yarrick *Nork Deddog *Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt *Colonel Schaeffer (and his Last Chancers) *Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed * Al'rahem of the Tallarn * Chenkov of the Valhallans * "Iron Hand" Straken of the Catachans PC Games *''Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War'' - The Imperial Guard made a guest appearance in the Single Player campaign, and were expanded into a playable army in the expansions Winter Assault, Dark Crusade, and Soulstorm. *The Imperial Guard also made an appearance as antagonists in the game Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior. External links *Wargame Tactics for Imperial Guard - A Wiki site for Imperial Guard Tactics. Sources * Codex: Imperial Guard 3rd Edition - created by Gamesworkshop * Codex: Catachans - created by Gamesworkshop * Games Workshop websiteCategory:I Category:Imperium *